In 1951, Earl Stober and his father-in-law, Lloyd Krofft, pooled their experience and resources to buy a Massey-Harris farm equipment business in Holgate, Ohio.

Earl, an Ada, Ohio farm boy who trained as an aircraft mechanic in World War II, had worked since the end of the war at a Massey dealership in Bluffton, Ohio. Lloyd had been a farmer near Ada through the transition from horse-drawn equipment and steam-powered threshers to tractors and combines.

Earl's oldest son, Jeff, joined the business in 1974 after earning a degree in Agricultural Economics from The Ohio State University and serving in Vietnam for the United States Air Force as a B-52 navigator.  Jeff, and his late wife Judy, raised two children Jeremy and Jennifer in rural Holgate.  Both Earl's wife, Jean, and Jeff's wife, Judy, worked in the office and behind the parts counter of Holgate Implement for many years.

Earl and Jean's other son's, Mark and Tom, have also been involved in the business. Mark served as the marketing and parts manager, using his twenty-five years of advertising and marketing experience to help improve the business before passing away in 2017. Tom, a retired professor of accounting at Notre Dame, serves as a financial advisor to Holgate Implement.

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Jeff's son, Jeremy, has rejoined the Holgate Implement staff and will be using his previous knowledge in technology and previous business experience in agriculture should advance our position in the Precision Ag industry, as well as, Internet marketing and advertising.

 

Jeff's grandsons, Jarrod and Jakob, are currently working part-time dealing with internet sales and in the parts department. This makes the family's fifth-generation to have contributed to the family business and Holgate Implement legacy. This new generation is also helping prepare for the transition to a more futuristic agricultural experience for our valued customers.

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​Since 1951 the business has helped popularize many new innovations, such as: equipment systems to shell and dry corn, no-till soil conservation practices, winter service 'checklist' programs, new generations of crop sprayers, satellite-guided technology to improve accuracy and precision, on-equipment video systems, as well as drone field mapping technology.

 

​In July of 2008 Holgate Implement was recognized with the AGCO Corporation's prestigious Silver Medallion Award.  This award is presented to fewer than 10% of AGCO dealers and recognizes excellence in market growth, operation and service.

 

In 2015, Holgate Implement also received an award for customer appreciation and service based on reviews in our area.  Since then, Holgate Implement has also received many awards for serving the community and areas in Northwest Ohio for over seventy years. ​

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With many accomplishments over the years, our family business is looking forward to the challenges and rewards the future may bring.  We hope you'll stop in and visit us soon!